School children on the remote Rabi Island community in Fiji can now benefit from more reliable, renewable energy and internet in their classrooms thanks to a newly-installed solar system and satellite internet connection that was officially launched this week.
It’s made possible through a partnership between Its Time Foundation and the Australian Government through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships. The two-year partnership will see the design and development of an effective model of monitoring and maintenance for solar energy systems installed by Its Time Foundation within remote Fijian school communities, starting with Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi Island.
Australian High Commission in Fiji’s Counsellor, Infrastructure & Climate Resilience, Louise Scott, said: “The new solar system at Buakonikai Primary School will have a transformational impact on students’ learning outcomes as they can now benefit from sustainable, renewable energy that keeps the lights and computers on.
“This is one of the ways this partnership is contributing to closing the technology and education gap for rural communities across Fiji, acting as a blueprint for other off-grid communities wanting to improve outcomes for their young people.”
Katarina Tubekoro, Headteacher, Buakonaki Primary School, said: “Our young people deserve to have every opportunity to reach their full potential, and I’m excited to see what new opportunities are now available to them as their access to energy and the internet improves.”
Its Time Foundation’s Founder, Rob Edwards OAM, said “In just six months, we’ve demonstrated what can be achieved by enabling children and young people in remote communities to access all the benefits of a modern education that increasingly relies on computers and other electronic resources, while improving the quality of life for the wider community and reducing carbon emissions.”
“This is just the beginning. We’re excited to build on our record of installing 30 remote school solar systems in Fiji to develop a sustainable maintenance and funding model that will keep the lights on for remote school communities in Fiji and beyond, now and into the future.
The Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships are part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) initiative to expand AIFFP’s climate infrastructure investments. It does this by partnering with businesses to deliver reliable and sustainable renewable energy to remote and rural communities in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, implemented by the Business Partnerships Platform.
Sustainable energy lights up classrooms in remote Fijian school
Bringing renewable power and internet access to Fiji's rural communities